Principal RF Systems Engineer

SPARC sustains fusion reactions by feeding >25MW of 120MHz RF power into the tokamak to heat the plasma to 100 million Kelvin.

We need a Principal RF Systems Engineer to play a pivotal role in building the most powerful RF plant in the world.

At this level, you are a highly influential architect of the system.

You will help drive the high-level technical direction while remaining deeply hands-on, taking a central role in the integration of high-power electronics, solid-state amplification, and complex transmission networks to ensure SPARC achieves net energy.

For more information on the SPARC RF plant, see the SPARC journal papers here:

• Overview of the SPARC tokamak
• Physics basis for the ICRF system of the SPARC tokamak
• Shape System Architecture: Play a critical role in the end-to-end design and integration strategy for RF plants for tokamaks, collaborating with other senior engineers to ensure seamless interaction between RF sources, matching networks, and the dynamic plasma load
• Guide Solid-State & Electronics Integration: Act as a key driver in the architecture and design of the electronics ecosystems required to integrate massive, distributed RF systems, with a heavy emphasis on solid-state amplifier technology and associated power supplies
• Spearhead Instrumentation & Control (I&C): Take the initiative in designing and integrating advanced RF signal detection, measurement circuits, and embedded digital controllers that interface seamlessly with SPARC’s central data collection systems
• Tame High-Power Delivery: Serve as a central figure in the hands-on design, integration, and optimization of critical high-power transmission components, specifically large-diameter coax lines and dynamic impedance matching networks
• Hands-on Technical Mentorship: Act as a senior technical authority on the floor. You will be actively involved in commissioning equipment, troubleshooting the most complex system-level hardware discrepancies, and organically mentoring junior engineers to elevate the entire RF team's capabilities
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field (Master’s or Ph.D. strongly preferred for this level)
• Experience: 15+ years of hands-on experience in high-power RF systems, radar, particle accelerators, or heavy industrial power electronics
• RF Fundamentals Expertise: Proven intuition for high-power RF environments, specifically hands-on experience measuring forward and reflected RF power, diagnosing RF arcs, and designing the timing and electronics to mitigate them